KEY POINTS:
If you back into an angled parking space, you could find yourself $40 out of pocket.
That's the warning from carpet cleaner John Tissingh, who was fined that amount after he unknowingly breached parking laws at Mt Maunganui.
Mr Tissingh, who owns Mr Fussy Carpet Cleaning, had been at an appointment at the Mount last Thursday when he was stung with a fine.
He had backed into the carpark on Salisbury Ave so he could unload his carpet cleaning equipment more easily.
On returning from the block of apartments after the appointment, Mr Tissingh was shocked to find out he had received a fine.
"Unbeknown to me you aren't allowed to back into angled parking, you are only allowed to drive in forwards. I didn't know it was against the law," he said.
Mr Tissingh now hopes his story will prevent others from suffering the same fate. "There are a whole lot of people who would do that who wouldn't know it is illegal to do it," he said.
Mr Tissingh said he had searched the Land Transport New Zealand website but did not find any reference to vehicles reverse-parked in angled parking spaces.
He could understand how reversing into an angled space could create a hazard, but he thinks parking nose-first has its own dangers.
"If you back into a parallel space you still have to stop traffic," he said.
Mr Tissingh said he would write to Tauranga City Council to explain but would not be surprised if he still had to pay the fine.
Kevin Nally, team leader for Tauranga City Council Parking, confirmed it was illegal to reverse into an angled parking space under section 6.13 of the Land Transport NZ road user rules.
He said it was dangerous to reverse into an angled space because a car would block the road while backing into it.
"The other problem we sometimes have is when people park with their back wheels against the footpath, particularly with vans," Mr Nally said.
"They have the back door open and people's heads are in a bit of danger. You can only park in the direction of travel."
- BAY OF PLENTY TIMES
